What are you talking about? The dairy section is on the perimeter, not in the interior!
Not necessarily. At my neighborhood store, for example, the dairy section is in the exact middle of the store. This further emphasizes what an oversimplification shopping just the perimeter is, as there is still no guarantee what you will encounter (and what you will avoid) if you do.
In the dairy section, the two options that immediately caught my eye were Greek yogurt and eggs. Greek yogurt, which is higher in protein compared to standard yogurt, works well as a component of breakfast, a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, or a post-exercise recovery food. Like yogurt, eggs can also be part of a healthy breakfast. Some people enjoy hard boiling them and adding them to lunchtime salads. Contrary to popular myth, eggs are not the cholesterol disaster some people believe them to be. Furthermore, the yolks are great sources of fat-soluble vitamins and help one to stay satiated.
How could I discuss the dairy section without even mentioning milk, a great source of protein and calcium? In addition to the typical ways in which people consume milk, its combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fluid make it a good post-workout recovery fuel. Shelf-stable boxed milk is particularly convenient for this purpose. Some of my patients who exercise after work will throw a box in their gym bags in the morning and drink it after an exercise session in the evening. Parents also take them on outings with their kids without worrying about refrigeration, just the same as when they take juice boxes.
Although milk alternatives, such as almond, soy, rice, hemp, hazelnut, and oat, have different macronutrient compositions than cow’s milk (most are lower in protein, for example), people with lactose intolerance or milk protein allergies will find that these products often substitute well for traditional milk. Oat milk, for example, has similar thickening properties to cow’s milk and can fill in quite well in a pudding mix, while almond milk is popular with cold cereal, and several of my patients like coconut creamer in their coffee.
Next installment, I will discuss the canned goods section . . .